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Submitted on Friday, 7^th August 2020
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The Rotunda, Cheltenham

3 Montpellier Street
Cheltenham
GL50 1SX

Phone: 01242522994

Correct details

Pub Type

Punch Taverns

Served areas

Cheltenham Central

Reviews of The Rotunda (Average Rating: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Steve of N21 left this review about The Rotunda

This was the surprise of my week in Cheltenham for the Jazz Festival. I had ignored it on my previous visits because it never really came up on the beer radar but was passing by and saw four ales advertised on the exterior board and decided to take a look and glad I did.
My primary reason for visiting was because of its location dead opposite Montpellier gardens, which is the hub for the Jazz Festival with its three main concert venues and the large festival bar. The Festival Bar this year was sponsored and run by Purity, and as much as I am partial to a pint of UBU, I’m not going to pay the Festival price of £6.70 a pint.
The pub has a traditional dark wood panelled interior which was formerly two rooms but now opened up into a main bar area and a connected room opposite. Each section is wooden floored and has a flat screen tele for the sports. It looks quite lived in in parts but the seating areas are comfortable.
It has two vistas, the main entrance, which is on the main road facing the gardens and benefits from a large pavement area which is utilised as the outside space for the pub. It’s a lovely sun trap spot but you do get the world and his wife walking past. Then there is a second back entrance from Montpellier Street behind and this side has four outside bench seats along the pavement section.
The bar supports four handpumps and during my visits Salopian Oracle and Otter Bitter were on all the time and Goffs Jester no 4 NZ Pale Ale, Goffs Cheltenham Gold, Butcombe Haka and Stroud Brewery Tom Long rotated on the other two. The Salopian Oracle was a fine pint and I tended to stay on this but did try the Otter Bitter and the Goffs Jester no 4 which were perfectly fine but not to my taste as much as the oracle.
This is a very friendly pub and is epitomised by the Landlord and Landlady who are helpfulness and cheeriness personified and a clearly running a decent wet led pub (the only food on offer are toasted Paninis and baps).
The only negative for me was that the Gents are in the basement down a very steep set of steps and after a couple I decided to use the toilets in the Festival site rather than risk them.

On 11^th May 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Brainy Pool left this review about The Rotunda

a straightforward down to earth pub in a very upmarket part of town, this had a dark interior in a traditional wood panelled style, and is basically a two roomed pub that has been opened up at the entrance. Four ales on of the ‘brown bitter’ and ‘pale ale’ variety. Outdoor seating at both sides with nice views of downtown Montpellier. I saw no menus and one guy was eating his own lunch from Co-op so I assume this is a wet led pub.

On 7^th August 2020 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

hondo . left this review about The Rotunda

Quite a dark bare boarded interior serving 4 real ales.

On 12^th March 2018 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]

View more reviews of The Rotunda (4)

External web links for The Rotunda

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Facebook - Rotunda Tavern

CAMRA WhatPub :: The Rotunda - whatpub.com

Pub location see interactive map of local area

Map location corrected by Jonathan Wilde

Cheltenham Spa, 0.82 miles, 15 min walk (show)
Gloucester, 8.36 miles, 2 hr 41 min walk (show)
Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, 9.43 miles, 3 hr 2 min walk (show)

Latest updates View all updates for The Rotunda, Cheltenham

11th May 2023, 15:28

Review submitted by Steve of N21

7th Aug 2020, 09:30

Picture submitted by Brainy Pool approved